This invention is in the field of movement of lengths of pipe and of steel in various forms and other objects between locations in a manufacturing plant and from truck to plant or from plant to truck. Such movement is commonly done by forklift machines. A forklift can be inserted under a stack of such items, following which they can be carried to a desired location.
A forklift has many disadvantages. Forklifts most commonly have two forwardly extending fork tines and with lengths of steel extended across the tines, the steel is crosswise of the forklift, whereby its length takes up excessive space for traveling congested areas.
In addition, forklifts are expensive to purchase and to maintain.
To put such items on a common cart and push it by hand involves off-loading by hand, and this is expensive in these days of high labor costs.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a cart which will permit the load to be dumped by gravity so that off-loading is without labor cost in most cases.
Another object hereof is to provide a side dump cart which has a latch for maintaining a tilting platform in travel position, the latch being easily released by foot pressure.
Another object is to provide a guard mechanism for guarding the foot pedal of latch for preventing its being operated by accidental forces which could cause the dumping of an extremely heavy load of steel, perhaps accidentally crushing the feet of persons nearby.
Yet another object is to provide a latch with the construction such that it automatically moves the latching position under the urging of a spring when the platform is moved into travel position from dumping position.
A further object is to provide a catch for positively preventing the platform from tilting, the catch being releasable by a completely different operation by the operator, such as the catch being releasable by hand-operation as distinguished from the releasing of the latch by foot operation. This gives a double safety against accidental dumping or even dumping by a sleepy operator who is not careful.
Yet a further object is to provide for the latch guard and the catch both to be moved from travel position to releasing position by the operation of a same trigger.